This invention relates to a gas lighter in which the fuel gas is ejected and ignited in response to rotation of a side wheel (to rotate a file wheel) and depression of an actuator lever and in which ignition is prevented when the side wheel is in the normal position.
As disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,197,870, 5,165,885, 5,634,787 and 5,490,773, there has been known a flint-type gas lighter in which the actuator lever which is depressed to lift the ejector nozzle and cause the nozzle to eject the fuel gas is arranged to be able to cause the nozzle to eject the fuel gas only when it is depressed while being slid.
There have been further proposed various gas lighters which are arranged not to be ignited by simply rotating the side wheel and depressing the actuator lever.
However, almost all the gas lighters provided with a lock mechanism for preventing ignition by the known igniting action is arranged so that the actuator lever cannot be depressed until the lock mechanism is released or until the actuator lever is moved forward, that is, in any one of the known gas lighters provided with an ignition lock mechanism, a small member must be operated to release the lock mechanism. Accordingly, it has been difficult for persons with a large hands to ignite the gas lighters releasing the lock mechanism and it has been demand for improving the structure of such a gas lighter toward practicability.
In other words, in a gas lighter having a lock mechanism which is to be released by an action deviated from the igniting action of operating the side wheel and the actuator lever in this order, the lock release action is troublesome and the ease of operating the light is deteriorated, and at the same time, the gas lighter is complicated in its structure.
In view of the foregoing observations and description, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a gas lighter in which the lock mechanism for preventing accidental ignition of the gas lighter can be released by an action which can be included in a series of the igniting actions of operating the side wheel to rotate the file wheel to generate a spark and depressing the actuator lever to eject the fuel gas so that even a large-handed person can be easily operate the gas lighter.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a gas lighter comprising a lighter body in which fuel gas is stored, a fuel supply mechanism which supplies the fuel gas in the lighter body to a nozzle by way of a valve mechanism, an actuator lever which is provided with a nozzle engagement portion to be engaged with the nozzle to cause the nozzle to eject the fuel gas in response to depression of a depressing portion, an ignition means comprising a file wheel provided with a side wheel on each side thereof and a flint pressed against the file wheel to generate a spark upon rotation of the file wheel and to ignite the fuel gas generated through the nozzle, and a cap mounted on an upper portion of the lighter body, wherein the improvement comprises that
the side wheel and the file wheel are supported on a support column so that their axes of rotation are rotatable and movable in a direction in which the flint is retracted, and
an engagement projection is provided on the periphery of the side wheel so that the engagement projection on the periphery of the side wheel is engaged with an engagement portion provided on the cap to prevent rotation of the file wheel, thereby locking the lighter not to be ignited, and is disengaged from the engagement portion upon movement of the side wheel in the direction in which the flint is retracted, thereby allowing the side wheel to rotate and releasing lock of the lighter.
Generally, the side wheels are mounted on a rotary shaft which is supported by a vertical bearing hole provided in a support column on the lighter body so that the rotary shaft is rotatable and movable in a direction in which the flint is retracted.
The side wheels may be mounted on a rotary shaft which is elliptical in cross-section and is supported by a bearing hole provided in a support column which is provided on the lighter body to extend vertically and is provided with a slant surface in a lower portion thereof so that the rotary shaft of the side wheel is rotatable and movable in a direction in which the flint is retracted, and is moved upward upon rotation thereof. In this case, a projection may be provided in the bearing hole to resist the rotary shaft of the side wheel being moved in the direction in which the flint is retracted.
Preferably, the engagement projection is provided on the periphery of the side wheel in a plurality of positions substantially at regular intervals and the periphery of the side wheel is provided with a knurled finger-application portion at least forward of each engagement projection in the direction in which the side wheel is rotated upon ignition with the rest part left smooth. It is preferred that side wheel be provided with a pair of engagement projections.
In the gas lighter in accordance with the present invention having a structure described above, the gas lighter can be locked not to be ignited by engaging the engagement projection on the periphery of the side wall with the engagement portion of the cap so that the side wheel cannot be rotated and the lock of the gas lighter can be released by moving the side wheel to retract the flint, thereby disengaging the side wheel from the cap. Accordingly, the gas lighter cannot be rotated by simply rotating the side wheel as in the conventional igniting action, which causes the user to recognize that the gas lighter cannot be ignited by the conventional igniting action. However, this ignition lock can be released by moving the side wheel to retract the flint, which is an action which can be easily done in a series of the igniting actions by even a large-handed person.
When the side wheel is released from the user""s finger in a series of the igniting actions and the actuator lever comes to be depressed, the side wheel is automatically returned to the original position under the resilient force of the flint, where the engagement projection of the side wheel can be surely engaged with the engagement portion of the cap to lock the lighter not to be accidentally ignited.
When the side wheels are mounted on a rotary shaft which is supported by a vertical bearing hole provided in a support column on the lighter body so that the rotary shaft is rotatable and movable in the direction in which the flint is retracted, less additional components are required and the structure of the lighter is less complicated, which makes the lighter more suitable for mass production.
Further, when the side wheels are mounted on a rotary shaft which is elliptical in cross-section and is supported by a bearing hole provided in a support column which is provided on the lighter body to extend vertically and is provided with a slant surface in a lower portion thereof so that the rotary shaft of the side wheel is rotatable and movable in the direction in which the flint is retracted, and is moved upward upon rotation thereof, the engagement projection of the side wheel can be surely engaged with the engagement portion of the cap after each igniting action. Especially when a projection is provided in the bearing hole to resist the rotary shaft of the side wheel being moved in the direction in which the flint is retracted, a strong force is required to move the side wheel in the direction in which the flint is pushed downward, which ensures the ignition lock function after a long use of the lighter.
When the engagement projection is provided on the periphery of the side wheel in a plurality of positions substantially at regular intervals and the periphery of the side wheel is provided with a knurled finger-application portion at least forward of each engagement projection in the direction in which the side wheel is rotated upon ignition with the rest part left smooth, the user performs the igniting action with his or her finger applied not to the smooth portion but to the knurled finger-application portion facing upward, the side wheels can be rotated by an angle suitable to bring one of the engaging projections on the side wheel into engagement with the engagement portion on the cap by the time the finger comes to depress the actuator lever, whereby the lighter is surely locked in response to end the of use of the lighter. It is preferred that side wheel be provided with a pair of engagement projections so that the side wheels are rotated by about 180xc2x0 each ignition action in view of the fact that a suitable amount of spark for ignition can be generated by rotating the file wheel by about 180xc2x0.